Eric Conner is killing it. His gym grosses over US$50,000 a month in a really tough market just outside Los Angeles.

Since 2016, he’s increased revenue by 100 percent. In 2022-2023 alone, he increased his gross by 20 percent. And he’s done it without running ads.

Today, Eric has multiple staff members who are building careers at his gym while they're supported by benefit plans. And as CEO of a thriving business, Eric has time to branch into other areas, such as investing in real estate and mentoring other gym owners.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Eric shares how he used multiple revenue streams and a mindset shift to transform his gym. According to Eric, the meteoric rise began when he decided to turn his hobby into a real business. One of his first moves: He started using Two-Brain’s Prescriptive Model, which is proven to increase revenue and improve retention.
 
Links

Learn how to use the Prescriptive Model

Gym Owners United

Book a Call

0:43 - Growing in a tough market

7:01 - The Prescriptive Model

8:31 - Leadership skills

13:47 - Other revenue streams

25:33 - Call five clients

How much money do the top gyms pull in each month?

You’ll find out in this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym” as Chris Cooper runs through the Top 10 leaderboard for revenue in September 2023.

Every gym on the leaderboard grossed more than US$49,000, and the top gym's number will leave you speechless. The stats are based on rolling three-month averages, meaning this is consistent, reliable revenue.

After serving up the numbers, Chris shares tips from the top gym owners so you can replicate their financial success and transform your business.

Some of the entrepreneurs generate a lot of revenue with very simple tactics—such as selling lots of personal training in addition to group memberships.

And others have found success with creative tactics that include producing merch in house and hosting big competitions.

What these gym owners all have in common: They produce big, sexy metrics supported by sound business fundamentals. Check out their tips, then take action to boost your revenue.

Links

Competitions at Your Gym Should Generate Revenue

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

0:49 - The Leaderboard Top 10

7:29 - Comments From Top Performers

10:53 - Different Retail Tactics

15:08 - Catalyst Story

16:57 - Back to the Leaderboard

It’s the end of the year, and you want to generate more revenue for your gym, but Black Friday deals and paid-in-full discounts will hurt you in the long run.

So what can you do instead to boost profit?

In today’s episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper shares five tried-and-tested revenue-generating tactics you can use to close out 2023.

The tactics: retail presales, gift certificates, save-your spot promotions, bring-a-friend holiday parties and January kickstarts. Chris walks you through each one, telling you exactly what to do to generate cash.

You can even get a free step-by-step guide in the Gym Owners United group. All you need to do is join and ask for it.

Links

Get the guide: "Cash to Close out 2023"

Book a Call

1:04 - Retail presale

3:22 - Gift certificates

6:11 - Save your spot promotion

8:15 - Bring-a-friend party

10:18 - Kickstart specialty group

Black Friday is coming, and it can be tempting for gym owners to slash their rates. But the best gyms in the world don’t offer discounts—and they don’t need to.

In today’s episode, Chris Cooper explains why gym owners should avoid discounts—hint: they'll sink your business. Even better, he tells you exactly how to say no when people request a reduced rate.

Instead of creating a Black Friday discount that hurts your business, you can increase the value of your service and close sales by offering bonuses. After all, added value beats a lower price when you're dealing with clients who are a perfect fit for your gym.

Remember, your mission is to build value for clients, not weaken your foundation with discounts.

Links

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

1:11 - Don’t Have Sales

4:52 - How to Say No to Discounts

9:18 - Additional Advice

11:14 - Ditch Discounts and Do This

14:40 - Bonuses That Don’t Break the Bank

Chris Cooper has helped thousands of gym owners improve their businesses—so what happened when he found problems at his own gym?

You'll find out in this podcast.

Lots of "experts" paint perfect pictures of their gyms—but true story is often different.

Chris has always been open about the realities of his gym since he first started blogging about it in 2008. So, when he found problems had cropped up in 2023, he jumped in to fix them personally—and he's sharing the story with you.

In this episode of "Run a Profitable Gym," Chris gives a detailed look at Catalyst’s absolute bottom level, then explains why he chose to fix his gym after considering selling it.

To rebuild the business, Chris had to take off his hat as CEO of a worldwide mentorship company and go back to being a  hands-on gym owner.

To start, he cut down to the bedrock to discover what was solid, what was salvageable and what needed to be rebuilt. Then, in the ultimate "stress test," he used Two-Brain Business templates—stuff he had actually created to help other fitness entrepreneurs—to revive his own gym.

If your gym is in a rough patch, listen to Chris's story, then take action to improve your business.

Links

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

1:00 - Expected Dip

3:45 - The Downturn

13:54 - "I Had to Save It"

21:23 - Building up Ops

27:19 - Simplifying Things

Breaking problems down allows you to gain traction and grow your gym instead of just feeling overwhelmed. And Two-Brain has helped thousands of gym owners around the world do just that.

In this episode of “Run a Profitable Gym,” Chris Cooper breaks down three of the biggest problems facing gym owners: bad coaches or staff, not getting enough leads, and not making enough money.

If you ever feel like no one at your gym can do it as well as you, then you’ve got a process problem or a people problem. But how do you figure out which it is?

Or maybe your problem is that you aren’t getting enough leads. But are you sure that leads are really the problem? Try breaking down your funnel: Are leads converting? Do you need new copy?

And you’ll learn how to confront the biggest challenge many gym owners face: “I’m just not making enough money.” Chris shows you how to break this problem down with an annual plan. You'll even get an exclusive look at Two-Brain’s goal-setting template so you can start down the path to a six-figure salary.

Links

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

02:00 - Bad Coach Example

14:40 - Bad Leads Example

23:08 - No Profit Example

29:30 - Toolkit

Stephanie Fowler of EMPOWERHOUSE Gym was struggling and couldn’t see a way out. She was torn between shutting her gym down or investing in Two-Brain mentorship.

She chose to fix her gym, and she saw a massive return on her investment as she worked through our RampUp program for gym owners: Stephanie acquired a ton of new clients and finally paid herself a comfortable salary for the first time in years.

In this episode, host Mike Warkentin sits down with Stephanie, who shares her experience working with a mentor to supercharge her gym. A few key changes to her business: creating an onboarding program and hiring a client success manager.

With firm business foundations in place, Stephanie is now working toward her next goal: earning $100,000 a year from her gym.

Stephanie’s advice to struggling gym owners who are considering mentorship? “Jump in.”

Links

"How to Bridge the Gap From Day Job to Fitness Entrepreneur"

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

0:28 - RampUp

5:09 - Invest in Two-Brain

12:37 - Onboarding

17:33 - Client Success Manager

21:05 - Next Steps

Fitness entrepreneurs need three skills if they’re going to be successful.

In this episode, Chris Cooper explains how focus, "gain thinking" and virtuosity combine to create strong businesses that improve the health of entire communities.

Rush from project to project without finishing anything and your gym’s growth will stall. Spend too much time thinking about where you should be and you won’t build any momentum. Ignore the basics and you’ll constantly find yourself correcting the same problems.

The best part? These skills will help you run a better gym, but they’ll also help you in other aspects of your life. And if you branch out from gym ownership, they’ll allow you to find success in your new entrepreneurial ventures faster.

Links

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

1:29 - Skill 1: Focus

4:46 - Skill 2: Gain thinking

10:34 - Skill 3: Virtuosity

If you think of selling as pushing people to buy things they don't want, you're going to struggle to make sales.

When you reframe the sales process as "helping people solve their problems," you'll be able to confidently present solid solutions to prospective clients who will be eager to accept your expert assistance.

The Help First concept is a game changer in the fitness business—especially if you struggle to close.

In this episode, Coop walks you through Help First—what it means, what it looks like in practice, how it benefits gym clients, and how it increases the number on your bottom line without making you feel slimy or dishonest.

You'll learn practical strategies you can employ today to build a strong business while helping people in your community accomplish their goals and improve their health. It's a win for everyone.

Links

Book: "Help First" by Chris Cooper

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

1:57- Mindset and overcoming obstacles

4:23 - Strategy: help the kids

5:38 - Strategy: help the teams

8:39 - Strategy: thank the heroes

10:09 - Strategy: co-branding

12:50 - Content creation

14:44 - Summary

Want to know how Two-Brain's conversation marketing funnel works?

You're in it.

In this episode, Chris Cooper walks you through a four-step process for setting up a killer conversation marketing plan at your gym.

Remember: Conversations bridge the gap between advertising and sales. Advertising gets a prospective client's attention, and the sales process secures the money and the membership. But if you focus on the period between attention and sales, you'll earn trust through conversations, and you'll close more sales faster.

You can use Coop's strategies to grow your client base but also to keep current members longer because conversations preserve relationships. You can even use it to bring back departed clients: Conversations rekindle relationships.

In short, if you want to grow your gym business, start more conversations.

Links

Book a Call

Gym Owners United

1:59 - What is conversation marketing?

3:01 - Start a conversation and listen

6:19 - The invitation

7:00 - The sign-up

8:29 - Retention and reactivation